Itty Bitty

by Cece Bell

“This small, stalwart character looks as capable and confident as every young child would like to feel. . . . Unpretentious, endearing, and enormously satisfying.” —  Booklist  (starred review)

Itty Bitty is a very tiny dog. But when he finds an enormous bone, he goes straight to work, gnawing out doors and windows and hollowing out the entire inside. Where can he find some itty-bitty things that will make this bone a home? The comical tale of an optimistic canine by Newbery Honor–winning author-illustrator Cece Bell is small in size but huge in charm.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Childrens, Storytime, Animals, Fiction, Humor

24 pages, Board Book

First published June 9, 2009

About the author

I'm an author and an illustrator, and sadly not a jazz pianist. I live in an old church in the hills of Virginia with my husband, author Tom Angleberger. I work right next door in a new-ish barn. I've written and illustrated a bunch of books for kids and was lucky enough to get a Geisel Honor for one of 'em. If you want to know more about my hearing loss or my childhood (or both), check out my first graphic novel, El Deafo. It's only slightly fictionalized, honest! I'm at www.cecebell.com if you want to see more weird stuff.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bright and cheerful book with a lovely message for both young and old. It's about having a place of your own to call home, making it truly yours by filling it with what matters and what suits you. It's about finding your itty bitty place in a great big world. This little dog is just charming and with very few words conveys his feelings of pride in his new home, one that wasn't complete until he found itty bitty objects to surround himself.

I gave it to my (fully grown) sister upon the purchase of her first home and she treasures this book and its message. I wish I could say that I came up with this idea as a house warming gift, but I borrowed it from a column written by a designer who keeps copies of this book in her gift closet. Now, I do as well.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small, bizarre tale (which is a good thing, to be bizarre, in picture books) about a tiny dog that hollows out a huge bone and lives in it, gets tiny furniture for it. I thought it was just okay, though Bell's art is cool here, but my two sons (9 and 10) both said they loved it, thought it was dumb and funny because it was so dumb. I don't mean "so bad it is good," as in cult classics. Just silly and improbable. Not a typical little kid book.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about a tiny dog setting up house in a giant bone.

[Jess Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave this book four stars, just because itty bitty is so cute, as are the illustrations. But really, there's not much substance to this book. Itty Bitty finds an enormous bone and decides to make it his home. Only problem is that he needs things to put inside it. So he goes shopping in the Teeny Weeny department and finds a way to make his bone a home. Cute, but not much there. Good for preschoolers, maybe toddlers, too.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's cute as pie, and I really liked it and you can just SHUT UP. Not everything has to be complex and bittersweet in order to be good. Itty Bitty is a supertiny dog, who drives a walnut-shell car, and who picks out some furniture for his little house in this undersized book. And that's it, and it's sweet and simple and gives you a nice warm feeling inside.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by Cece Bell, AK As Mrs Tom Angleberger, another kid's author I've liked, and already I'm a fan, a Cece Bellboy! This one is about a very tiny dog named Itty Bitty, who closely resembles a Snitty! (FTR: a Schnitzel, or Snitty, is another way of saying "cute Weiner dog" or "dachshund"). Itty Bitty has found a huge bone, and, Itty being about thirty cm small (!), he sees that the bone is HUGE! (Much bigger than President Donald's BONE but that's another story) So Itty decides to turn this big thing into a house to live in! And boy you should see how Itty pimps his crib! He heads to the "little" store, sorta a Mini-Me Mini Mart, grabs cool stuff that would make Papa Smurf and Tom Thumb envious, and that bone is all tricked out and he's ready to party! Itty Bitty is an amazing book that leaves me hungering for...a "little" more!!!
Four stars
Itty Bitty sitting pretty!!! He ROCKS!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bell, Cece. Itty Bitty, BOARD BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2017. $6.99.

Itty Bitty is a very, very small dog. One day, he is walking along and comes across a gigantic bone. He hollows it out and decides to live inside. The only problem is that it is so large, it feels incredibly empty. He goes in search of furniture and stumbles upon the very small section of the furniture department store. He buys everything he likes and his bone home feels perfect.

All in all, I wasn’t really interested in this book. I understood the final concept of making your home feel like “home” but it was unappealing to me that the dog had to go buy a bunch of stuff to make it feel like home.

PRE-K- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Mrs. Melaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an “itty bitty” dog that is so tiny that daisies tower over him finds a dog treat, he chomps out the inside to create a house. Next, he gets in his tiny cart and heads to the great big department store to find the perfect cozy furnishings. Where? In the Teeny-Weeny Department, of course! After adding his purchases (sofa, lamp, rug, and book) to the house, he looks around the inviting space and pronounces it to be “wonderful!” The underlying message is a reassuring one – with a bit of effort, it is possible to carve out your own place in the world and make it to be just the way you wish. This charming picture book originally published in 2009 translates well into board book format.

[Paige Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Level: Pre-K - 2nd
I had never heard of this book before, but I thought it was so cute! The itty bitty dog trying to find things for his little bone home made for a story I think children would love. It would be a great read aloud because it is pretty short and there are not too many words on each page. I loved the word bubbles and words that were integrated into the illustrations, I think children would love that. I highly recommend reading this book!

[Andrés · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, "Itty Bitty" is fun to say." Second, Itty Bitty is very cute and small. This is a book that combines imagination and practical problem solving to turn Itty Bitty's new-found house into a home. The colorful illustrations, with their adorable little signs and Itty Bitty's commentary bubbles, are a delight.

[Deatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book appealed to our love-of-all-things-miniature side. The kids loved the cute tininess of the theme. It had a perfect ending. We all wish this was a series because we would follow Itty Bitty on many more adventures.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even a tiny dog like Itty Bitty can do great things.

Behold what one small dog, of big vision and equally great persistence... can do with an ordinary bone.

FIVE STARS for words and pictures and lovely inspiration, all from Cece Bell!

[Izabella Bensing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern Fantasy
PreK Reading Level

This was such a sweet and simple book and a very quick read. It incorporates some money skills into it, so it would be a great side lesson. I enjoyed the ending very much!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favorite in our family.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itty Bitty was a very tiny dog. When he found an unusual place to make into a home for himself, it didn't feel like home. He had to fill up the emptiness. Cute story and illustrations.

[Casandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about a tiny dog who makes a home

[Betty Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter found this book on the floor of the library while we were visiting there and asked me to read it to her. Itty Bitty has cute and colorful illustrations, but the story didn't captivate her nearly as much as the pictures did. I'm actually rather glad for that fact; I was disappointed that the main character (Itty Bitty) filled up his house with things he bought at a store in order to feel happy. I was waiting for the story to introduce family, friends, pets, a job, or even a hobby that Itty Bitty could fill his house with in lieu of people or things, but it never happened. This is one that will forever stay a library book, because it's not a good fit for our home collection.

[Chato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: Itty Bitty
Author/Illistrator: Cece Bell
Reading Level: 1.6
Book Level: k-3
Book Summary: The book is a great example of perception and the point of view. Itty Bitty is the name of the dog, but who is also itty bitty. I thought of a child in an adult world as I read this book.

The charactoristics that support this genre are the realistic illustrations of Itty Bitty compared to the world that he lives in.

Writing traits used are word choice. This author did a great job of bringing the words and the illustrations together with multiple illustrations on some of the pages. The presentation also portrayed this comparison of Itty Bitty in the giant world.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute illustrations, but a flat story. The story is that in order to make a house feel like home, Itty Bitty filled his home with itty bitty objects. Perhaps if this story were developed more, saying that Itty Bitty's house felt like home when filled with family members or friends, it would have been a fuller story. Unfortunately, it focuses only on material items.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I feel like it would be beneficial to read it to lower grades such as kindergarten through third grade because it was a really simple and fun read. I think that grades above third grade would kind of be a little bored with the quickness and simplicity of the book.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Itty bitty dog makes a house by hollowing out a bone, but then realizes he needs to furnish it with teeny weeny furniture and things. This would be a cute house-warming gift (especially for petite people!).

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and sweet story about a little tiny dog who makes a house out of a bone. The illustrations are adorable, and the narrative is simple for young readers. Our youngest read this book aloud to us and we enjoyed reading it together.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! Too small for story time, but I'm going to use it for our library story line next week. Itty Bitty is a teeny tiny dog who makes his home out of a big dog bone that he hollows out. Now he just needs furniture!

[Kelly Triplett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that can be used to show students that what matters is on the inside. It's a good story to encourage young students to read; it has an easily understood message and the pictures are appealing.

[Jenny Lussier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a 1st grader (I actually purchased a couple books by this author). I thought it was good, but the kids just LOVE it! Something about a tiny little dog that just gets them.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book for some reason just cracked me up. Maybe because it reminded me of another book I read a long time ago to my children called Tommy the Winner who builds a house of cheese he wins. Does anyone remember that book? I loved when he went to the department store to the itty bitty section.

[Ashley Greenfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that can be used to show students that what matters is on the inside. It's a good story to encourage young students to read; it has an easily understood message and the pictures are appealing.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five-year-old picked this book out from the library last week.

This is an itty-bitty book about an itty-bitty dog. The story, such as it is, is fine. There just isn't very much to it.

The illustrations suit the itty-bitty story just fine.

[Melle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story, sweet illustrations -- a good quiet time read. Would be a lovely book for a young child who is learning sizes or who just moved into a new home or a young adult in her first home. Cece Bell is the queen of heartwarming awesomeness.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The big question in this little book is how will Itty Bitty furnish his bone home? Can he find a place just for him? Can he find others like him. Surely there must be, else, where did he come from?

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